Furnace charger



ugl. 4, 1970 E, J, BERK ETAL FURNACE CHARGER 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed July12. 1968 WEIN.

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INVENTO/ fon/A20 56k( PAUL J Fan/7AM@- @d u 4: ATTORAEYS N m QQ MQ @L 4,1970 5 J, BERK EI'AL 3,522,891

FURNACE CHARGER Filed July 12, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A TTORNE YS UnitedStates Patent O M 3,522,391 FURNACE CHARGER Edward J. Berk and Paul J.Fontaine, Chicago, lll., as-

signors to Westinghouse Air Brake Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., acorporation of Pennsylvania Filed July 12, 1968, Ser. No. 744,410 Int.Cl. B25g 27/14 U.S. Cl. 214-21 15 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSUREShaker conveyor furnace charger positonable to successively charge aplurality of furnaces with meltable materials and into a retractedposition out of the way of the furnace charged to be loaded Withmeltable materials to be charged into a next succeeding furnace. Anelongated swivel frame forms the support for a shaker conveyor troughand for the drive mechanism for the trough and is swiveled for movementabout a vertical axis. The trough extends along the swivel frame beyondthe forward end of the frame and is reciprocably driven in a horizontalplane by the shaker conveyor drive mechanism.

SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION In carrying out the invention weprovide a simple and improved shaker conveyor loader particularlyadapted for charging furnaces with meltable materials, in which anelongated swivel frame forms a support and guide for the shaker conveyortrough and is mounted on a base for pivotal movement about a verticalaxis into position to successively charge a plurality of furnaces andinto a clearance position during the melting period of a furnace, atwhich time the shaker conveyor trough may be loaded, in which the swivelframe is swung horizontally about its pivotal axis by power and islocked in a selected charge position by additional power means.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide an improvedform of furnace charge operating on shaker conveyor principles andarranged with a view toward utmost simplicity in construction andefficiency in opera tion.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved an improvedform of furnace charger for successively charging a plurality offurnaces and movable into a clearance position out of the way of thefurnaces during the melting or pouring operations, or for loading with acharge for a next succeeding furnace, which is in the form of a shakerconveyor trough supported for reciprocable motion in a straight line ona swivel frame and is moved into its clearance and charging positions bypower.

These and other objects of the invention will appear from time to timeas the following specification proceeds and with reference to theaccompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. l is a schematic view of a furnacecharger constructed in accordance with the principles of the presentinvention, showing the charger in position to charge a first and then asecond furnace and in a clearance position between the furnaces.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the furnace charger shown in FIG. 1with certain parts broken away.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view in side elevation of the furnace chargershown in FIG. 2 with the foundation shown in section.

FIG. 4 is a partial fragmentary longitudinal sectional view takenthrough the furnace charger shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 with the chargerpositioned in one of its swing loading positions; and

3,522,891 Patented Aug. 4, 1970 ICC FIG. 5 is a front end view of thefurnace charger looking at the charger from the front end thereof, withcertain parts removed.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF INVENTION In FIG. l of thedrawings we have schematically shown a furnace charger 10 movable abouta vertical swivel axis A in position to charge a first furnace B, intoan intermediate clearance position, to be loaded with a charge and intoposition to charge a second furnace C spaced laterally from the furnaceB.

The shaker conveyor charger l0 includes an elongated swivel or baseframe l1 forming a support for an aligned shaker conveyor trough 12extending beyond the forward end thereof. The charger also includes afixed base 13 forming a mounting for the swivel frame 11 on the oor, formovement into its loading and charge positions about the swivel axis A,coaxial with the axis of a vertical shaft 15. The base 13 includes themounting for the vertical shaft l5 and also includes a foundation forthe charger.

The elongated swivel frame 1l is generally shown in the drawings ascomprising a pair of parallel spaced beams 16, which may be l-beams andwhich are connected together by transverse beams 17, also shown as beingle beams7 and spaced therealong and suitably connected between the websof the beams 16.

Certain of the beams 17 form supports for standards 19 for roller frames2t) supporting the shaker conveyor trough 12 for straight linereciprocable movement. The standards 19 are spaced inwardly of the beams16 and are connected together at their upper ends by downwardly facingchannels 21, and form supports for roller brackets 22 of the rollerframes 20. The roller brackets 22 form supports for inwardly extendingshafts 23 and rollers 25 journalled thereon and having supportingengagement with laterally spaced bearing plates 26, extendinglongitudinally of a bottom 27 of the trough 12 and mounted on anddepending from reinforcing plates for the bottom 27.

The trough l2 is retained to the rollers 25 by retainer plates 30extending along the top surfaces of the horizontal legs of angle irons31. The angle irons 31 are secured to the vertical flanges of a channel32 on their vertical legs, as by welding or any other securing means andextend outwardly of the vertical legs of said channel. The channel isshown in FIG. 2 as extending for substantially the length of the troughl2. Transverse reinforcement plates 33 depend from the webs of thechannel 32 and abut the inner sides of the vertical legs of the angleirons 3l and are welded or otherwise secured thereto to reinforce saidangle irons and thereby provide rigid retainers retaining the trough 12to the rollers 25.

At the front of the swivel frame 11 is a transverse beam 3S extendingacross the beams 16 and extending thereahove. The beam 35 may be anl-beam and forms a support for rollers 36 supporting the swivel frame 11for movement about the axis A, and forms a reinforcement for frontstandards 37 mounted on and suitably secured to the beams 16 andextending upwardly therefrom. The standards 37 form a support for adownwardly facing channel 39 extending across the front of the swivelframe and having a central boss 40 extending upwardly therefrom, forminga support for a roller 41 rotatable about a vertical axis concentricwith the lonigtudinal center of the swivel frame l1. The roller 41 isdisposed between spaced vertically extending bearing plates 42 extendingalong support plates 43, 43 depending from a reinforcement plate 29. Thebearing plates 42 and roller 41 are shown as extending the web of thechannel 32. The roller 4l serves as a guide roller to hold the forwardend portion of the trough l2 from lateral shifting movement with respectto the swivel frame 11 during operation of the charger. A similar guideroller -41a is provided adjacent the rear end of the trough to guide therear end of the trough for straight line movement.

The rollers 36 are mounted on and depend from roller brackets 44 weldedor otherwise secured to the bottom flanges of the beam 35 and dependingtherefrom. The rollers 36 are positioned in angular relation withrespect to each other in accordance with the arc of travel of the baseframe, to support the front end of the swivel frame 11 and trough 12 forlateral swinging movement along an arcuate track 45, extending along theHoor and suitably anchored thereto. In FIG. the rollers 36 are shown assupporting the bottom flanges of the beams 16 in vertically spacedrelation with respect to the track 45, to accommodate free movement ofthe base frame about the pivot axis A of the shaft 15.

The base 13 is partially recessed in a pit 46 extending beneath thelevel of a floor 47 and includes a stationary base plate 48 having anannular bearing 49 mounted on its top surface and supporting an annularplate 50 forming a pivotal support for the swivel frame 11 on the base13. The base plate 48 is supported on the upper anges of parallel beams51 recessed beneath the level of the pit 46 in the foundation, andextending across and supported on their bottom flanges on parallelchannels 53 extending between longitudinally extending beams 54. Thebeams 51 are also supported on a plate 55, disposed inwardly of thechannels 53 and supported on parallel spaced transversely extendingchannels 56, which are also imbedded in the foundation. The base plates48 and 55 form a support for a sleeve 57 extending therebetween andforming a bearing support for the vertical shaft 15. An abutment plate59 closes the bottom of the sleeve 57. The shaft 15 extends upwardly ofthe sleeve 57 along an aligned sleeve 60 mounted in and extendingupwardly of the base plate 50. A lock plate 63 extends across the shaft15, and is secured to said shaft as by machine screws 64. Said lockplate may also be secured to a transverse plate 65, extending betweenthe beams 16, and welded or otherwise secured thereto.

The means for swinging the swivel frame 11 about the axis of the shaftis shown in FIG. 2 as comprising a fluid pressure operated cylinder 66.Said cylinder` extends along a depressed portion 67 of the pit 46 andhas a piston rod 68 extensible therefrom. Said cylinder is pivotallymounted at its head end to a vertical wall of the depressed portion 67for movement about the axis of a pivot pin 69, as by a mounting bracket70 suitably anchored to said wall. The piston rod 68 has verticalpivotal connection with a bracket 72, secured to and depending from theweb of an upwardly facing channel 71, extending between the beams 16 andsuitably secured thereto. A suitable valve (not shown) may be connectedwith a source of fluid under pressure to admit fluid under pressure tothe head or piston rod ends of the cylinder 66 and pivot the swivelframe 11 and trough 12 about the pivot axis A into the chargingpositions shown in FIG. 1, for successively charging furnaces B and C,and into a clearance position between the two furnaces shown in thisligure, to provide clearance between the charger and the two furnacesand be loaded with a fresh charge where desired.

The rear end portion of the swivel frame 11 has two spaced oppositelyfacing channels 73 extending thereacross between the beams 16 and weldedor otherwise secured thereto. The channels 73 have aligned ears 74extending inwardly therefrom providing a mounting for brackets 75 for afluid pressure operated cylinder 76. The cylinder 76 has a piston rod 77depending therefrom through the apertured portion of a plate 79, and hasa clamping disk 80 secured to the lower end thereof. The plate 79 isadapted to move along the top of an anchoring device 81, shown in FIG. 4as being longitudinally spaced angle irons 83 imbedded in the foundationand anchored to the foundation as by generally downwardly facingV-shaped anchor bars extending through the vertical legs of said angleirons. A bar 86 imbedded in the foundation is welded or otherwisesecured to the vertical legs of the angle irons A83, to rigidity saidangle irons and aid in anchoring the anchoring device to the foundation.An anchoring device 81 is positioned to each side of the base frame 11.The anchoring devices 81 are each of the same construction and thespaces between the horizontal legs of the angles 83 extend to oppositesides of the center line of the arc of travel of the piston rod 77 asthe charger is swiveled into its operative positions, to enable saidpiston rod to pass in the space between the horizontal legs of theangles 83 of an associated anchoring device, when the charger is inposition to charge either a furnace B or C. The admission of fluid underpressure to the piston rod end of the cylinder 76 will thus bring theclamping disk 80 into engagement with the undersides of the horizontallegs of the angles 83 and clamp the transverse plate 79 into engagementwith the top sides of said angles, and rigidly hold the charger in afurnace charging position. Fluid under pressure may be admitted to thehead and piston rod ends of the cylinder 76 under the control ofsuitable valve means, which need not herein be shown or described sinceit is no part of the present invention.

Referring now to the construction of the shaker conveyor trough 12 saidtrough is shown in FIG. 5 as being of a generally channel-like formhaving parallel side Walls 88 extending upwardly from opposite sides ofthe bottom 27 of said trough. The side walls 88 have upwardly andoutwardly ared hopper-like walls 89 secured to the upper end portionsthereof and extending for a portion of the length of the trough 12 andcooperating with a rear end closure wall 90 to form a hopper at thereceiving end of said trough for receiving and storing a charge to bemelted.

The trough 12 has a drive connector 91 depending from the centralchannel 32 (FIG. 3). Said drive connector is s-hown as being in the formof a pair of parallel spaced plates 93 connected together at their rearends by an angular abutment plate 94 and a vertical abutment plate 95dispoosed therebeneath. The vertical abutment plate 95 forms an abutmentfor a bifurcated connector 96 welded or otherwise secured thereto. Aneye 97 of a drive link 99 extends between the furcations of theconnector 96 and is pivotally connected thereto as by a pivot pin 100.The drive link 99 in turn is journalled at its rear end on a crank pin101 of a shaker conveyor drive mechanism 103.

The shaker conveyor drive mechanism 103 is mounted on a base 104 mountedon the vertical legs of the transverse channel 71 and on the top of aforwardly spaced transverse bar 115 extending along the top surface ofthe plate 50 supporting the swivel frame 11 for movement about the axisof the shaft 15. 'Ihe shaker conveyor drive mechanism 103 includes ahousing 106 having a transversely extending vertical bumper plate 105extending thereacross and spaced rearwardly therefrom. The bumper plate105 is spaced from the housing 106 as by a pair of vertically spacedhorizontally extending abutment plates 107. The bumper plate 105 in turnabuts a bumper plate 109 mounted on the forward ends of two parallelspaced plates 110 mounted between a pair of parallel spaced columns 111.The columns 111 extend upwardly of the beams 16 and are connectedtogether by the plates 110 in a suitable manner. Gusset plates 112,mounted on the top anges of the beams 16 are provided to back up thecolumns 111 and bumper plate 109 and take the buff and draw forces ofthe shakes conveyor trough 12, transmitted through the shaker conveyordrive mechanism 103, and to transmit these forces to the shaft 15 andbase 13 through the swivel frame 11.

The shaker conveyor drive mechanism 103 may be of any conventional form,so need not herein be shown or described in detail, and is driven from amotor 116 on a base 117 extending across the tops of the columns 111. Asuitable drive connection is provided from the motor 116 to the drivemechanism 103, shown as being a flexible drive connection 117 which maybe a V-belt drive connection, or any other suitable drive connection.

During operation of the conveyor, the charge may be loaded into thereceiving or hopper end of the shaker trough 12 while said trough is inits clearance and idle position between the two furnaces B and C, asshown in FIG. 1. The swivel frame 11 and trough 12 are then moved intodischarge relation with respect to a furnace B or C by operation of thehydraulic cylinder 66. Fluid under pressure is then admitted to thepiston rod end of the locking cylinder 76 to lock the swivel frame 11 inposition on an associated anchoring device 81. The Vmotor 116 is thenlstarted and the shaker conveyor trough 12 is driven with a straightline reciprocating conveying action, to progress the charge therein fromthe receiving end thereof beyond the discharge end thereof into aselected furnace B or C. As the furnace is charged the drive mechanismis shut off and the swivel frame 11 and shaker conveyor trough 12 may bemoved laterally into its clearance position intermediate the furnaces Cand B, by operation of the fluid pressure operated cylinder 66. Thetrough 12 may then be loaded with another charge for a next succeedingfurnace w-hile idle, and when the next succeeding furnace is ready to becharged, the trough may be angularly moved about the pivot axis A, intocharging relation with respect to the next succeeding furnace, forcharging this furnace. The charging and loading operations may then berepeated enabling the shaker conveyor trough 12 to be charged during themelting cycles of the furnaces without interfering with operation of thefurnaces, and to c-harge a selected furnace as soon as the furnace hasbeen tapped. The furnaces B and C may thus be alternately operated toprovide a substantially continuous charging and melting cycle withlittle if any delays between the melting Cycle of one furnace and thecharging cycle of the other furnace. It should be understood, however,that the trough 12 need not necessarily be loaded when in its idleclearance position, but may be loaded at any time consistent withmaintaining a desired cycle of charging melting and furnace pouringoperations.

While we have herein shown and described one form in which the inventionmay be embodied, it may readily be understood that various variationsand modifications in the invention may be attained without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the novel concepts thereof.

We claim as our invention:

1. In a laterally positionable shakes conveyor loader,

a fixed base;

a vertical pivot on said fixed base;

a swivel frame horizontally swingable about said vertical pivot relativeto said fixed base;

a shaker conveyor drive unit supported on said swivel frame;

an elongated conveyor trough reciprocably supported on said swivelframe;

connecting means between said drive unit and said trough to impart astraight line relatively long stroke shaker conveying motion to saidtroug-h;

and power means acting between the base and the swivel frame adapted toswing the swivel frame, shaker conveyor trough and shaker conveyor driveunit about said vertical pivot.

2. The shaker conveyor loader of claim 1, wherein anchoring means areprovided on said fixed base operable only when said conveyor trough isin a charge position, for anchoring said swivel frame in a selectedcharge position.

3. The shaker conveyor loader of claim 2, wherein a power operatedclamping means is provided to selectively clamp said swivel frame tosaid anchoring means in the selected charge position of said shakerconveyor trough.

4. The shaker conveyor loader of claim 3, wherein the anchoring meanscomprises spaced anchoring members disposed at opposite sides of saidswivel frame, in which the space between said anchoring membersgenerally conforms to the arc of travel of said swivel frame, a clampingmember engageable with said spaced anchoring members, and means bringingsaid clamping member into clamping engagement with a selective of saidanchoring members for clamping said swivel frame in a selected chargingposition.

5. The shaker conveyor loader of claim 1, wherein the vertical pivotcomprises a pivot shaft seated in the said fixed base and forming athrust bearing post and bumper means are provided between said shakerconveyor unit and said swivel frame for transferring the buff and drawforces to said thrust bearing post into the fixed base.

6. The shaker conveyor loader of claim 5, wherein said power meanscomprises a fluid pressure operated cylinder and piston havingconnection with said swivel frame for moving said swivel frame about thesaid pivot shaft, and positioning said shaker conveyor trough into itscharging and clearance positions.

7. The shaker conveyor loader of claim `6,

wherein the shaker conveyor drive unit is mounted on said swivel frameadjacent the rear end thereof, and

wherein the bumper means comprises bumper plates between said shakerconveyor drive unit and said swivel frame to transfer the buff and drawforces of reciprocable conveying motion imparted to said drive mechanismto said thrust bearing post and fixed base.

8. In a furnace charger, a swivel including,

a stationary base structure having a vertical pivot shaft forming athrust bearing post, and

an elongated swivel frame mounted on said stationary base structure forturning movement about a vertical axis,

a shaker conveyor drive unit mounted on said swivel frame,

means for supporting the forward end portion of said swivel frame forlateral movement into charging and clearance positions,

a shaker conveyor trough extending along said swivel frame and beyondthe forward end thereof and having a receiving end, and an oppositedischarge end,

means supporting and guiding said shaker conveyor trough forreciprocable movement in a straight line,

a drive connection from said shaker conveyor drive unit to said troughfor reciprocably driving said trough with a straight line drive motion,and other means swinging said swivel frame, drive unit and trough aboutthe axis of said vertical pivot shaft to position said trough into acharge position and into a clearance position for receiving a charge.

9. T-he furnace charger of claim 8, wherein the means for swinging saidswivel frame and trough for lateral movement about the axis of saidswivel comprises a fiuid pressure cylinder and piston means connectedbetween said swivel frame and said base structure.

10. The furnace charger of claim 8,

wherein anchoring means are provided at opposite sides of said swivelframe, for anchoring said swivel frame in a selected charge position,and

wherein a power operated clamping means is provided to clamp said swivelframe to said anchoring means.

11. The furnace charger of claim 10, wherein the anchoring meanscomprises spaced anchoring members disposed at opposite sides of saidswivel frame in which the space between said anchoring members generallyconforms to an arc of travel of said swivel frame, a

12. The furnace charger of claim 11, wherein fluid pressure operatedcylinder and piston means have connection with said swivel frame formoving said swivel frame about said swivel vertical axis by power, andpositioning said shaker conveyor trough into its charging and clearancepositions.

13. The furnace charger of claim 12,

wherein the shaker conveyor drive mechanism is mounted on said swivelframe adjacent the rear end thereof, and

wherein bumper plates are provided on said swivel frame to take the buffand draw forces of reciprocable conveying motion imparted to said drivemechanism.

14. The furnace charge of claim 13,

wherein the spaced anchoring members comprise angle irons having spacedhorizontal legs, in which the space between said legs conforms to an arcof travel of said swivel frame, and having vertical legs adapted to beimbedded in a foundation,

wherein means are provided for anchoring said vertical legs to thefoundation,

wherein a cylinder is mounted on said swivel frame and has a piston roddepending therefrom in alignment with the space between the horizontallegs 30 of said angle irons to pass between said angle irons uponmovement of said swivel frame and trough into a charging position, and

wherein a clamping plate is secured to said piston rod for engagementbeneath the horizontal legs of said angles to clamp said swivel framethereto upon the admission of fluid under pressure to said cylinder.

15. The furnace charger of claim 13,

wherein the base structure includes a vertical pivot shaft, and

wherein said bumper plates transfer the buff and draw forces ofreciprocable conveying motion to said pivot shaft and base structurethrough said swivel frame.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,500,520 7/ 1924 Neander 198-1251,570,085 1/1926 Saxe 198-124 XR 2,848,100 8/1958 Jasper 198-124 XR3,279,628 10/ 1966 Brouwer et al 214--26 OTHER REFERENCES German printedapplication D 11,546, September, 1956, 198-125, Braun.

ROBERT G. SHERIDAN, Primary Examiner U.S. CL. X.R.

